Thanksgiving Weekend: The Long, Slogging Commute

Well, the numbers are in. (Some of them were in before today, but I was too busy eating turkey). According to AAA’s survey, most of the 47 million people with holiday travel plans over Thanksgiving — 90 percent — planned on driving. Gas prices are lower than they were at this time last year, but traffic was BAD. These photos from the Mass Turnpike and Chicago are downright terrifying. Here in Connecticut, I-84 East was actually closed from around 4p.m. to 2 a.m. the Tuesday before Thanksgiving after a terrible accident.

This looks like nothing because it’s cars completely enveloped in fog. From ABC News, in Chicago.

30-mile back-up on the Mass Turnpike. From ABC News, in Massachusetts.

I-95 was the usual bad, as well. Luckily, I started my drive (from New Haven to Maryland, where my parents live) at 6:30 a.m., beating the rush.

I got special help for my commute, though, from the traffic gurus at the state’s Highway Operations Center. Listen to my report on WNPR here.